Cable terminal



Jan. 15, 1935. E E, KNUDSON 1,988,174

CABLE TERMINAL Filed March 22, 1953 INVENTMZ:

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TTNEK Patented Jan. 15, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CABLE TERMINAL Earl E. Knudson, St. Paul, Minn., assignor of one-half to SimA. Kolliner, St. Paul, Minn.

Application March 22, 1933, Serial No. 662,061

7 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in cable terminals of a .type particularly adaptable for overhead telephone cable use;

The mainv object is to provide a terminal of highly eiii'cient construction and providing easy access to drop-wire connections', other features being. hereinafter fully set forth reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of my cableterminal in operative position in fixed relation. to aY so-called cable messenger. 'i

Fig. 2 is a left end elevation ofFig.. 1 about as orLline2-2 of.A Fig. l and Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view as'on line 3-3' 1.

chamber a1onethe left. half' of. the view showing ai face plate in position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of: an. end part of; they face plate 22. of my device-and Fig. 6 is a corresponding perspective view of a removable sheet metal cover 25 normally covering the face plate and. providing a weather proof' cover for the front of my device.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional. elevation of one end ofv my cable chamber in enlargedscale and including portions of the cover member.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals', 8 designates a telephone cable suspended by'hangers 9=froxn a so-called messenger cable 10. Fig. 1. designates a portion of a telephone cable near a pole (not shown) such pole being in somecases provided. withv a small platform. enabling linemen to have access to the cable. My terminal comprises an elongated, two-part tubular 35 housing 11--11A of metal, preferably about twenty-two inchesin length, theend parts of said housing closed by being half rounded except for a central aperture 13 for passage of a. cable longitudinally through the housing. 11' designates the reary half or semi-tubular part of the housing and 11A the front half or section, the corresponding or registering walls adapted to be welded, soldered. or otherwise permanently connected as on line 12 after being positioned about a section of the cable to be tapped for a number of service connections.

The rear section 11 of the housing is preferably semi-tubular throughout and the front section 11A is tubular only a short distance in from each -end to a vertical shoulder 14. These shoulders in a preferred size of my terminal are about iteen inches apart and the housing section 11A in this distance is formed quadrangular in cross section (see Fig.. 3) with top and bottom hori- `zontal walls 11A registering with the forwardly opening.` edges of the rear section 11, on line 12, and a vertical outside wall 11A. From the outer face of 11A extends an outwardly tapering continuous flange 15 of elongated quadrangular form and inclosing or guarding a correspondingly 4. is an enlarged front view of my cabler shaped side-opening 15A in wall 11A but spaced outwardly from all sides of the latter to provide a vertical continuous ledge or ange 14L. Obviously because-of the taperedformof flange 15 an elongated inwardly tapering pocketV of quadrangular form is provided and in this pocket is placed a wooden filler strip 16 shaped with sloping edges to fit and its. outer surface being in a common plane withthe outer faces of flange 15. The strip 16` is Ysuitably perforated throughout its length to retain a number of.v threaded studsV 17 known as conductor lugs, each projecting through the strip 16 and exposed both inwardly and outwardly of the strip, the latter parts carrying suitable nuts 18 to frictionally engage the upper terminals 19T.of any required number of so-called drop cords 19 comprising service wires extending from the terminal to any desired location. 'I'he inner ends of the conductor lugs 17 are suitably connected` within the housing, to wires 20 of cable 8 (see Fig. 3). Inwardly of strip 16, all but the innermost ends of the conductor lugs may be sealed with a layer of any suitable non-conductive material designated 21in Fig. 3.

The strip 16 is retained in its place by means of'a vertical sheet metal face-plate 22 having an elongated quadrangular opening 22A registering with strip 16 but of smaller dimensions than the outer face of the strip 16f so as to bear against the outer face parts of said strip and be clamped against it by means of a number of screws 23 threaded into registering threaded holes in the flange 15, the studs 17 projecting forwardv through the slit 22A. The lower extremity of member 22 is formed with a horizontal forwardly directedledge 22F the'front edge part of which is bent up to form a narrow upright flange 22F'. In the flange or ledge 22F is provided a number of apertures 24 for outlet of the wires or dropcords 19 (see Figs. 3, 5 and 7). At each of the opposite ends of the face platevI provide a forwardly directed integral end wall 22W.

25 is a sheetl metal cover with side and top flange means only and of a size such as to be slipped downwardly over and upon the face plate and completely cover up the conductor lugs, the lower and open part of said cover projecting below the ledge 22F of the face plate (see Fig. 3). Said cover may be removed only by raising it vertically when it may be placed in the unobstructive resting position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, exposing the terminal studs 17 and allowing a lineman to freely make adjustments, connections or disconnections as may be required.

In the assembling of this device on an overhead cable it is obvious that the wires 20 of thev cable 8 are first connected to the inner ends of the studs 17, it being understood that the housing sections are separated. After the required number of these connections have been made the housing members are suitably connected to form the continuous integral housing about the cable and the cable outlets made weather proof by soldering or other means where the cable enters the end parts.

The face plate 22, as previously described, holds the terminal strip 16 in place, only the outer ends of the conductor lugs 1'7 being exposed while the cover is removed. rIhe entire Weather proof terminal thus provided is suspended rigidly from the messenger 10 by means of a pair of strapiron brackets designated B as a whole. 'Ihe upper end of' each bracket is in vertical Yplane and bifurcated upwardly as B2 to straddle a clamp bolt 26 between two clamping plates 27 on the bolt and which platesengage and clamp the messenger 10 above the bolt as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and.,3. Belowthe bifurcation the strap is bent in semi-circular form to bear against the curved exterior face of section 11 of the housing, thence extending forward under the housing 11A horizontally, thence down as at B3, thence rearward horizontally to form an arm B4. The arm B4 terminates in a short upwardly directed hook B5. The parts B4-B5 provide an open hook on which drop cords 19 leading from the terminal may be laid as shown in Fig. 3.. Part B3 of each bracket may be rigidly connected to the lower part of the face plate 22 as by means of a screw 28.

I have now described my device in its preferred embodiment. 'It will be readily understood that modifications to a rconsiderable extent may be made without departing lfrom the scope and spirit of the invention. The main housing 1l-11A is preferably made of lead and antimony in the proportion of about ninety-five percent lead and five percent antimony.

The face plate 22 yis preferably of galvanized sheet iron as is also the cover 25.

It will be readily understood that the bifurcated upper ends of the brackets B permit of vertical adjustment of the clamp means for proper spaced suspension of the housing from the messenger 10.

I claim:

1. A cable terminal comprising an elongated tubular body formed with closed rounded ends and said end parts provided each with a central aperture for retaining a cable extending through the terminal said end parts of the terminal being of cylindrical form a predetermined distance, the main length of said terminal formed with a vertical front wall between said cylindrical ends, said wall providedl with an elongated opening, a continuous outwardly tapering iiange surrounding said elongated opening and in slightly spaced relation outwardly of its edges, a removable strip comprising a non-conductive holder for a plurality of conductor lugs and formed with tapering edges to engage the inside areas of said tapering flange, and a normally vertical face plate removably securable to said iiange means to clamp saidstrip between itand the said wall.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, in which said face plate is provided with an elongated opening of smaller area than the exterior area of the strip and registering with the opening of said vertical wall.

3. The structure specified in claim 1, in which Vsaid face plate is provided with an elongated opening of smaller area than the exterior area of the strip and registering horizontally with the said opening of the vertical wall, and said face plate formed further with a horizontal ledge provided with apertures throughout' its length, a removable cover for inclosing said open side of the terminal and bracket means for suspending the terminal in spaced parallel relation to a cable messenger.

4. A cable terminal comprising an elongated tubular housing closed at both ends, said ends adapted to be opened for passing a cable through the terminal, said tubular housing comprising a rear section of semi-cylindrical form, a front section of like form only at its end parts and of quadrangular form including a forward vertical'wall between said cylindrical ends, said vertical wall provided with an elongated opening, a forwardly directed continuous flange surrounding said opening, a terminal-lug strip adapted to be removably retained between said flange means, and a face plate with an opening registering with said opening of the wall and said plate arranged to bear against the perimetral parts of the outer face of said strip,and means for clamping said plate against the strip.

5. The structure specified in claim 4, said face plate formed with a lower horizontal ledge and two upright end flanges al1 projecting forwardly from the face plate, a cover member with flange means arranged to slidably engage the end and top parts of said face plate and simultaneously project below the ledge of said plate, and hanger brackets securable to and engaging the lower and rear parts of the terminal and each bracket formed with a Vertical upper terminus.

6. The structure specified in claim 4, said face plate formed with a lower horizontal ledge and two upright end flanges all projecting forwardly from the plate, a cover member with integral flange means arranged to engage the end and top parts of said face plate and simultaneously project below the ledge of said plate, hanger brackets securable to and engaging the lower and rear parts of the terminal and each bracket formed with a vertical upper terminus with a slot for passage of a clamp bolt therethrough, and a clamp plate on each side of said upper end of the bracket and arranged to simultaneously clamp a messenger cable and said bracket end.

'7. The structure specified in claim 4, said face plate formed with a lower horizontal ledge and two upright end flanges all projecting forward from the face plate, a cover member with flange means arranged to engage the end and top parts of said plate and said cover projecting normally below the ledge of the face plate, and a pair of horizontally spaced hanger brackets each securable to and engaging the lower and rear parts of the terminal and each bracket formed with a vertical upper terminus bifurcated to straddle a clamp bolt, a clamp plate on each side of said upper end of the bracket with the clamp bolt passed therethrough and arranged to simultaneously clamp said plates to a messenger cable and to said bracket end, and each said bracket formed in its lower end with a rearwardly and upwardly opening hook in common plane with the main part of the bracket and below the terminal body, for the purpose set forth.

i EARL E. KNUDSON. 

